This Blog is created to promote social awareness, consciousness and commitment amongst general public and tune their thinking and actions to all-encompassing loyalty to our society, our country, our people and indeed to all humanity and to motivate and inspire them to ably, efficiently and whole-heartedly discharge their social duties and national responsibilities.
On January 12, a 7.0 earthquake struck 10 miles south of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team is in Port-au-Prince assisting survivors of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti Tuesday. The team is providing medical care outside the general hospital near the Presidential Palace where hundreds of people have congregated for help.
Estimated 2.5 to 3 million people are expected be affected.
Earthquake triggered mudslides, collapsed buildings, and knocked out power and communications lines.
Injuries and loss of life are predicted to be substantial.
People reportedly trapped under rubble and much of Port-au-Prince is destroyed.
Other members of the Emergency Response Team are conducting a rapid needs assessment and visiting hospitals around the city to explore their condition.
In addition to emergency medical care, survivors of the earthquake are likely to be in immediate need of food and water, as well as non-food items like blankets, tents, stoves, and water purification equipment. Public health is a major concern as well. International Medical Corps will also focus on providing emergency shelter and other essential items in its relief effort.We need your help to work as quickly as possible while lives can still be saved.
$200 ships $2,500 worth of life saving medicines and medical supplies to help our Emergency Response Team provide critically needed care.
$100 buys water filtration systems that would provide clean, safe drinking water to at least 3 families.
$25 helps fully immunize one child under the age of 5 and protect him or her from illness.
$10 provides hygiene kits to 2 people to help protect them from sanitation-related illnesses, and provide a basic level of comfort and dignity.
The response draws on 25 years of experience in emergency settings, including last September's earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the massive 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
Already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti struggles with widespread poverty with 70 percent of its population living on less than two dollars a day.
Silver Inning Foundation request you to please DONATE/HELP people of Haiti.
As a kid growing up in India, I remember spending more time with my grandparents than my parents. We lived in a big house, with five families in it. These were not just husband-wife families, but husband-wife, kids and grandkids type of families. In the house where I grew up with my sisters, we fit a total of 25 people, with about four to five people in one room.
Even as I was growing up, I never realized what a profound effect this setting would have on my life. Now that I am grown up and have lived in different countries, sometimes on my own and sometimes with friends, I realize that my grandparents played a major part in my formation.
In India, the concept of nuclear families has just started setting in during this decade. Joint families are still the prevalent norm, especially in rural India. Looking back, I think my house was like the community centre of the neighborhood. Every afternoon I remember coming home from school, I would see at least ten women sitting in our big front garden, knitting, sewing, talking about the neighborhood, basking in the sun and enjoying endless cups of chai.
My grandmother was what you would call the chieftain of this tribe of women. I would always see her, seated in the best chair, the white cane chair, with all the women surrounding her. The other women appeared in awe of my grandmother as she was dreadfully good looking. Before the partition of India and Pakistan, my grandparents lived in Lahore (now in Pakistan) and my grandmother’s family was one of the wealthiest in Pakistan. When they moved to India, however, they lost all their property and wealth. The only thing my grandmother brought to India was her beauty and her fascinating stories of wealth, grandeur and glory in Pakistan. Every day I would hear her talk to the other women about this diamond that she owned or that emerald that she wore. I knew that my grandmother was the talk of her town in Lahore and she effortlessly maintained this image in India, in my little town of Chandigarh, as well.
Looking back, I realize how much that joint family structure and my grandparents changed my life. Both my parents were working, so my sisters and I would spend the remainder of our days, after school, with our grandparents. My grandmother instilled something in me that makes me feel hugely indebted to her- a belief in a superpower. She was a firm believer in God. To me interested in God and religion she would sit with me and write songs and poems about Indian Gods and Goddesses and then she would ask me to think of a nice melody for them. After that, my grandmother would sit for hours singing the song and I would sit and listen to her and imagine her singing the same song in her big mansion in Lahore. The songs were very simple but powerful in their message. Songs of Gods’ glory, the virtues of doing right, the benefits of prayer and meditation, were all things that I heard and learned from those songs. Although my parents were both working, I never felt their absence and grew with immense love and care and a profound sense of security that no matter what happened, my grand mom’s love and devotion to God would always protect me.
Even today, when I am distressed I think of the powerful message of those songs and it empowers me in a way that nothing else can. This is when I realize the deep impact grandparents have on our lives. Our grandparents are from a different and older generation. They help to remind us of the simple rules of life that we often forget while trying to make a living. Simple things that our grandparents taught us are the most precious means of living a fulfilling life- respecting our elders, being kind to other people, loving our neighbors, being helpful, praying and meditating are just a few things that I learned from my grandparents.
One of the hardest times, however, in my life was when my grandmother was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. Even more difficult was the shock that my grandmother felt when she learned that she was sick. The biggest shock, however, for her was finding out that she would stop having a normal lifestyle after that diagnosis. My grandmother had to undergo surgery and after that surgery, she never had the same life. One of the reasons that she had such a hard time in post-surgery was because the doctors failed to provide her with adequate information on what her life would be after the surgery. This is where India’s health system reveals its weaknesses. In India few post-surgery treatment facilities exist for patients. Due to the large population and high number of patients, not every patient gets the treatment that they deserve. Moreover, psychological assistance is not so readily available for patients who go through life changing operations.
My grandmother was a very social woman, she used to go out everyday to meet her friends, go for weekly community gatherings, etc, but after her operation she was attached to a device that did not permit her too much mobility. This immobility paralyzed her more than the disease, more than the surgery and more than the lack of post-surgery treatment. In India, the people in the health system give no information to assist older patients before and after surgery. The information that my parents had was similarly qualified and inadequate. A lot of times, doctors forced procedures and treatments without providing them essential information about the complications associated with such major surgeries.
The direct effect of this immobility gave rise to depression and loneliness for my grandmother. Even with us around her, she longed for her social and active life. After her surgery, she felt trapped and disappointed. She would often cry and wish that she had never had the surgery. Seeing her unhappy made these days some of the most trying periods for my entire family. The sedentary lifestyle and the ensuing depression eventually got the better of her. She developed Alzheimer’s disease. My grandmother started forgetting names and places, she would forget to eat, and she started to slowly wither away.
The surgery began the end of my grandmother’s life; instead of making her better, it took the very life out of her. For a woman who was used to a life of comfort as a child and then of a social and active lifestyle as a young woman, the change was much too big and she was completely unprepared for it. A lack of information from the doctors complemented with a lack of any kind of professional psychological assistance, took away any hope for a decent and respected old age for my grandmother.
In a country that is increasing its power every year and boasts of leading medical and technological advancements, such discrepancies in the care of elders is inexcusable. India has some of the smartest doctors in the world. It also exports some of its smartest doctors to the world. But this progress fails when it comes to dealing with the health issues of older people living in its own borders. My grandmother’s case is just one example. Many challenges and abuses face older Indians but the medical doctors and other health workers completely ignored them. India must work on providing mental and psychological help to older people who undergo life-changing treatments. Besides this issue, other problems demand attention: abandonment of older persons, lack of access to some form of social security as well as deficient medical and health facilities for older people.
In the Indian culture, most people consider elders responsible for holding values and protecting wisdom, earning them great respect. The new generation however, caught up in its frenzy for advancement and fast progress is slowly eroding this bedrock of the Indian family system. In the joint family structure that is still prevalent in many parts in India, grandparents still give very strong support system to families, especially in families where both parents are working. The majority of grandparents spend their entire older lives caring and providing for grandchildren and their parents. In such a scenario, to think of older people going through a frightful and painful older life is ethically wrong. India must change its policy decisions to ensure that more research is done on various issues affecting the older persons in the country. More importantly, India’s citizens must create solutions to these problems as soon as possible. Older people spend their entire lives making lives better for others. It is only fair that they are taken care of in their old age.
Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.
The Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Mukul Wasnik addressed the 10th Editors’ Conference on Social Sector Issues (ECCSI) here today. On this Occasion, the Minister of State Shri. D. Napolean and Secretary (SJ&E) Shri K. M. Acharya were also present.
Following is the text of the speech of Shri Mukul Wasnik at the Conference :-
“ I thank the PIB for providing our Ministry the opportunity to interact with the editors and senior writers on social sector issues. On behalf of the Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment, I welcome you all to this conference. I am sure that our interaction would not only be very fruitful but the aims, objectives, schemes and programmes as well as the achievements of the Ministry will also adequately reach the public at large through the print media.
2. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment deals with five target groups, namely, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disability, Senior Citizens and Victims of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. These groups collectively, constitute at least 60 per cent of the total population of India. The Ministry, thus, has a pivotal role in extending its support to a substantial segment of the population. We are following a three pronged strategy consisting of the educational, social and economic development of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Additionally, rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and victims of substance abuse and well being of senior citizens is an important element of our programmes. The Eleventh Plan Allocation for our Ministry is Rs.13043 crore. The budgetary allocation for 2009-10 is Rs. 2500 crore, of which around 76% is for social, educational and economic development of Scheduled Castes. Our utilization of plan funds has consistently been more than 98% of our budgeted outlay in recent years.
3. Scheduled Caste Development
3.1 The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is the nodal Ministry to oversee the development and empowerment of the Scheduled Castes. Though the primary responsibility for this rests with various Central Ministries and State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, the Ministry of SJ&E has nodal responsibility in this regard, and also supplements their efforts by way of interventions like scholarships, hostels, concessional loans, etc. The Ministry also monitors the efforts made by State Governments/ U.T. Administrations and Central Ministries in development and empowerment of the Scheduled Castes.
3.2 Towards their social Empowerment and in furtherance of Article 17 of the Constitution by which untouchability was abolished and its practice in any form forbidden, the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 was enacted in order to enforce the Constitutional provision. Subsequently, another Act called, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, was enacted and brought into force on 31.01.1990. This aimed at preventing commission of offences by persons other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes against members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Comprehensive Rules under this Act, titled “Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995” were notified in the year 1995, which, inter-alia, provide norms for relief and rehabilitation. Responsibility for implementation of the Act primarily vests with the respective State Governments. The Minister, SJ&E has carried out a number of high level reviews with groups of states as well as individual states to ensure effective implementation of these two Acts.
3.3 Eradication of the practice of manual scavenging is an area of priority for the Government. For this purpose, the Government has adopted a three-pronged strategy consisting of (i) Administration of the employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993; (ii) conversion of dry latrines into water seal toilets and (iii) rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their dependents, into alternative occupations. A ‘Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers’ (SRMS) was introduced in January 2007 with the objective of rehabilitating remaining manual scavengers and their dependents in a time bound manner. Under the Scheme, identified beneficiaries are provided loan, at subsidized rate of interest, and credit linked capital subsidy for self employment projects. As per progress reports received from states ending 31.12.09, 69137 beneficiaries have been provided loans for alternative occupations, and about 13700 identified beneficiaries remain to be covered. All efforts are being made to rehabilitate the remaining beneficiaries by March 31, 2010.
3.4 For the educational empowerment of SCs, the Ministry is implementing a number of scholarship schemes, free coaching as well as assistance for construction of hostel facilities for SC boys and girls studying from school to college level. The Post-matric scholarship scheme, which is a flagship scheme of the Ministry, provides financial assistance to over 35 lakh SC students studying at post matriculation level. The Ministry is currently spending about Rs 750 crore annually under the scheme.
3.5 Special Central assistance is given to the States/UTs as an additive to their own Scheduled Castes Sub Plan to give a thrust to family oriented schemes of economic development of SCs below the poverty line. About 6 lakh families are benefitted from this annually. National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), an apex corporation under the Ministry, provides concessional loans including micro credit to the Scheduled Castes families living below double the poverty line for various income generating activities.
4. Development of OBCs
4.1 Financial assistance is provided to States and UTs for scholarship schemes for OBC students as well as for construction of hostels for OBCs.
4.2 National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) – another apex corporation under the Ministry, gives concessional loans to OBC families, who are below double the poverty line, for various income generating activities such as agricultural and allied activities, artisan and traditional occupations, technical trades, small scale and tiny industry, transport services etc.
5. Disability
5.1 In pursuance of the provisions of the Constitution, several initiatives have been taken by the Government for the empowerment of persons with disabilities from time to time. This has resulted in a fundamental change from a welfare model to a rights based approach to all the issues concerning the lives of persons with disabilities. Promotion of greater accessibility and barrier free environment for them is a prime objective of the Ministry and it is the first among the Central Ministries to have re-designed its website making it accessible to persons with disabilities. Other Ministries and their associated organizations are also expected to rapidly follow suit. To encourage the development of “accessible” websites, the Ministry has instituted a new category in its Scheme of National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under which three awards – one each for government, public and private sector websites will be given every year for the best “accessibility” features.
5.2 The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act in 1995, paved the way for realization of the rights of persons with disabilities. It is now nearly 15 years old and needs several amendments so as to harmonize it with UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to which India is a signatory and which came into force in May 2008. A series of consultation meetings were held during 2007-08 and 2008-09 in various parts of the country with stakeholders, to elicit suggestions for amending the Act. We have placed a comprehensive amendment proposal on the Ministry’s website and are consulting State Governments, Central Ministries and stakeholders on this draft, which is expected to be finalized in the next few months.
5.3 The Ministry has a scheme of giving assistive aids and appliances to persons with disability. These are provided free to beneficiaries with a monthly income of Rs 6500/- and at 50% of the cost to those with a monthly income between Rs 6500/- and Rs 10,000/-. The scheme is implemented through NGOs, recommended by the State Governments, as well as the seven National Institutes working under the Ministry. About 2 lakh persons with disabilities are covered under the scheme annually.
5.4 There are seven National Institutes under the Ministry working in the field of disability, viz. three working for loco motor disabilities, one each in area of visual, mental and hearing disabilities, and one in the field of multiple disabilities. These institutes are engaged in human resource development in the field of disability, provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities and also carry out research and development. About 5 lakh persons are provided rehabilitation services annually by these National Institutes.
5.5 Under the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), Ministry gives financial assistance to NGOs, for running various rehabilitation activities like Special Schools and Vocational Training Centres. About 2 lakh beneficiaries are covered under this scheme annually. Financial norms under the scheme have been revised from the current financial year.
5.6 A new Scheme of Incentives to Employers in the Private Sector for Providing Employment to Persons with Disabilities was launched in 2008-09 under which payment of employer's contribution to the Employees Provident Fund and the Employees State Insurance Corporation for the first three years, is made by the Government of India, in respect of persons with disability appointed by such employers on or after 01.4.2008.
6. Senior Citizens
6.1 As per 2001 Census, total population of Senior Citizens (60+) was 7.7 crore, which is projected to increase to 17.3 crore in 2026, and a corresponding rise in its share from 7.5% to 12.4% of the total Population. Ensuring that they not merely live longer, but lead a secure, dignified and productive life is a major challenge. ANational Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) was announced in January 1999. As ten years have passed since then, we have decided to undertake its comprehensive review in the coming months.
6.2 The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, enacted in December, 2007, have been brought into force by 22 States and all UTs. The Act makes maintenance of parents/senior citizens by their children/legal heirs obligatory and justiciable through Tribunals. It also provides for revocation of transfer of property by senior citizens in case of negligence by relatives, penalty for abandonment of senior citizens, establishment of Old Age Homes for indigent Senior Citizens and adequate medical facilities and security for Senior Citizens.
6.3 Under its Integrated Programme for Older Persons, the Ministry assists NGOs for establishing and maintaining Old Age Homes, Day Care Centres and Mobile Medical Units, Help lines etc for senior citizens. About 33000 senior citizens benefitted under this programme last year.
7. Substance Abuse
7.1 Alcohol and substance abuse has emerged as a serious concern in India. The geographical location of the country further makes it highly vulnerable to the problem of drug abuse. A National Consultative Committee on De-addiction and Rehabilitation Services (NCCDR) under the chairmanship of the Minister (SJ&E) was constituted in 2008 which, in its very first meeting, recommended that a national policy for prevention of alcoholism and substance abuse and rehabilitation of its victims be formulated. A Sub-committee of NCCDR is currently drafting the national policy.
7.2 The Ministry also implements a Scheme of Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, under which assistance is given to NGOs for running Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs), Regional Resource and Training Centres (RRTCs), awareness generation activities etc. Over a lakh of victims of substance abuse are rehabilitated under the scheme annually.
8. Other Activities
8.1 Every year, the Ministry gives National Awards for outstanding work in the areas of disability and welfare of senior citizens. It has also instituted National Awards for work in the empowerment of Scheduled Castes.
9. Media have an extremely important role to play in empowerment of disadvantaged sectors – by spreading messages of non-discrimination, government schemes, human rights etc as also by highlighting success stories of high achievers belonging to these sections. We look forward to working closely with the media in our joint quest for ushering in an egalitarian, just, humane and caring society.”
At a time when India is courting People of Indian Origin from various parts of the world — people who are, by definition, foreign citizens — it is anomalous that most of its citizens living abroad are disallowed from casting their votes. This disenfranchising of Non-Resident Indians is a serious infirmity in the electoral process, something that has been repeatedly pointed out by the NRIs as well as civil rights activists in India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s hope that Indian citizens living abroad will be able to vote in the next general election promises to redress a longstanding grievance and terminate a blatantly discriminatory provision in the electoral law. Under Article 19 of the Representation of the People Act 1950, only those “ordinarily resident” in a constituency are eligible to be registered in the electoral rolls. Since most NRIs either study or work abroad, often for extended periods, they lose their status as ordinary residents under Section 20 of the Act and are liable to be struck off the electoral rolls. As for those who remain on the electoral rolls, by virtue of not being struck off before the next revision, the only way is to cast a ballot in person, which means returning home (which may not quite be home).
This is not simply an unreasonable provision; it is an utterly iniquitous one. Under the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, the ordinary NRI is excluded while various classes of people are given the facility to cast absentee or postal ballots. They include not only ‘special voters’ such as the President, Vice-President, Governors, and Union and State Ministers, but also ‘service voters,’ a category that includes armed forces personnel and staff in diplomatic missions. A number of countries, from the United States and Canada to Argentina and the Philippines, make it possible for their overseas citizens to vote. The Government of India must waste no time in reintroducing the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. The Bill, which sought to amend the RP Act 1950, by inserting a sub-section that classifies citizens who take up “employment, education or otherwise outside India” as ordinary residents, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2006. Evidently it made a number of political interests uneasy, so it was referred to a parliamentary standing committee and the Union Law Ministry has been ‘examining’ it ever since. The facility to vote must be seen not as a favour done to ordinary Indian citizens living abroad — but as their right. Once the conceptual and legal shift takes place, the Election Commission of India will need all the time it can get to set up necessary mechanisms to allow them to vote in 2014.
Keeping in view the needs of the physically challenged in the changing times, the government is planning to introduce amendments in the legislation related to protection of their rights in budget session of Parliament.
Government will introduce amendments in the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik said on Monday.
"We are harmonising the legislation and there will be comprehensive amendment in it keeping in mind the needs of the disabled persons with changing times. Currently dialogue is going on with concerned stakeholders on these changes, which we will bring in the next session of Parliament," he said.
Wasnik was speaking on the occasion of the unveiling of the ministry's "fully accessible" website, which was launched by Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Prithviraj Chavan.
The Ministry is the first in the Union Cabinet to have come out with a website which can be fully accessed by persons with physical disabilities.
"Since ours is the nodal ministry looking after welfare of the physically challenged, I would request all my cabinet colleagues to make websites of their respective ministries fully accessible for the physically challenged," Wasnik said.
He said the site will soon be available in Hindi too.
Are you passionate about changing the world? Do you have exceptional people skills? Want to combine your passion and skills?
UnLtd India, a foundation for start up social entrepreneurs, is looking to hire an outstanding Host for The Hub, a first of its kind incubator space in India.
Position: Hub Host
Location:Mumbai, India
Position type:Full Time Salary
Deadline: 15th Jan 2010
About The Hub
The Hub is a unique collaborative work space for people with ideas and passion for a radically better world to work out of, meet, connect, learn and grow.
The Hub will spark innovation by providing the following:
oHub Space offering shared work stations, hot desks, meeting room, workshop space, wireless internet, facilities for printing, copying, faxing, scanning and a library
oHub Connector hosting events, talks, exhibitions, online platforms to network and collaborate
oHub Incubation building skills through a range of trainings, workshops, discussions, consultancies and exposure visits
The Hub will house all the tools, resources and connections needed to cultivate an idea, launch a project and operate a business.
The Hub is an initiative of UnLtd India, a foundation for start up social entrepreneurs. You can read more about UnLtd India at www.unltdindia.org
Roles and responsibilities
Your overall role will be todeliver the Hub experience in a way that creates a culture of collaboration, innovation and change. Within this, your specific responsibilities are as follows: (Please note that some of these responsibilities will be carried out with other team members.)
Building the existing community of Hub Members
oKeep in tune with members’ and their ideas/projects’ needs
oConnect members with each other, to the Hub pool of resource persons/organisations and to non-member visitors, as required
oOrganise regular members’ meet
oLiaise with the communications team to manage the online community via website, newsletter, mailing list and online groups
oWelcome and orient new members into the space
Attracting new Hub members
oIntroduce Hub services to potential members that walk into the space
oLiaise with the marketing team to bring in new members relevant for the community
oLiaise with the marketing team to maintain databases for potential members
Maintaining the space
oGetting workshop or meeting rooms ready as per the bookings
oLiaise with Administrator to ensure adequate stock of required supplies
oAssist as and when needed for Hub events
oKeep the spaces fresh, inspiring and energetic
Financial
oLiaise with Administrator to prepare invoices for members and non-members
oLiaise with Accountant to prepare regular Hub financial reports
Monitoring
oManage systems/MIS related to space management and members’ & their work’s growth
oGive inputs into the impact indicators, assessment tools and procedures
oAssess the Hub services as per the agreed impact assessment procedures
oCompile a report on delivery of Hub services and its impact
Other
oGive inputs into the overall strategy and design of Hub services
oSupport the Director in fundraising efforts as required
Qualifications
We are looking for the following set of skills, experience and qualities:
oEnthused by our purpose of creating spaces that spark collaboration and innovation for change
oAt least one year’s experience of working with a non-profit or social enterprise
oExcellent people skills at different levels including start ups, grass root level organisations, professionals from other sectors, corporates and media
oExceptional offline and online communication skills
oAn ability to be up to date with the social sector
oEnjoys planning and organising events with exceptional attention to detail
oAn ability to take initiative in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment
oAn ability to work well in chaotic situations
oBasic financial skills such as invoicing and handling payments
oComputer literate – using the web, basic IT skills including MS Office and excel
oFluent English & Hindi
Please email your CV (no longer than 2 pages) and a brief cover letter explaining your motivation to work with us by 15th Jan 2010 to recruitment@unltdindia.org . Please mention ‘Applying for the Hub Host role’ in the subject line of the email.
Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.
